Most of Ontario is flat and boring, but Autumn in this province is almost always stunning. The show that Mother Nature put on last year (2012) was spectacular, unfortunately this year didn’t match up, but it was still worth the early morning alarm and a trek through the woods. The first time that I set out to capture the fall colours this year, I took with me my D600 and two lenses – one wide angle and one telephoto. Out in the field, I would capture the scenery and turn to find a flock of geese or a pair of ducks or a majestic great blue heron but by the time I changed lenses I had missed the shot. I needed a long telephoto setup that I could pair with my D600 wide angle kit. Hmm…Only if I have a second “back-up body”, with a crop sensor, superb AF-speed and a fast continuous rate to capture these birds. Wait a minute – I do. I have a D300s! That’s how my landscape photography kit came together – my dynamic duo.

It took a few tweaks to get the setup right – including adjusting the straps to the right length so that I could easily walk, jog, run, crouch or climb a tree and have both cameras stay put and ready for action whenever I needed them.

If you’re curious, here’s what my kit looks like:

D600 with the 24-85mm kit lens

D300s with the 70-200 f4 (but with the crop factor it’s close to a 105-300mm) and (12-bit Raw Files mode to shoot at 6fps)

D600 attached to a Black Rapid strap sitting on my right hip

D300s attached to standard issue Nikon strap on my left shoulder, hanging on the left hip

It might look and feel like overkill, and someone might think I’m showing off, but I enjoy all types of photography, so why would I only travel with one type of setup, when I have the option to carry everything I need for landscapes or wildlife? This setup works amazingly well for me.

I just want to iterate that I’m not bragging about my setup, because for the last 5 years, I shot with one body and a single (all purpose 18-200mm) kit lens and managed to get some amazing pictures.

Here are a few sneak peeks of some shots I took over the Thanksgiving Weekend. Lots more to come in this series.